Cha Jae-yi: NYU acting major and 13-year veteran actor-writer

Interest is mounting as it was revealed that Cha Jae-yi, daughter of actress Cha Hwa-yeon, has already been active as an actress for 13 years. A graduate of New York University with a major in acting, Cha has established herself not only as a performer but also as a writer, having published three books.

On the 24th, Cha Hwa-yeon and Cha Jae-yi made their first joint appearance on a variety program during the tvN STORY show 'Table Tales.' For the veteran actress Cha, appearing alongside her daughter drew significant attention, as the segment highlighted not only their family bond but also their individual lives and professional trajectories.

Before Cha Jae-yi's entrance, Cha Hwa-yeon spoke about her daughter to Lee Young Ja and Se-ri Pak. Reflecting on her long career of playing numerous female protagonists who were "daughters" on screen, Cha described Jae-yi as "the daughter I love most among them." However, she also piqued curiosity by jokingly adding, "She is a difficult daughter, a daughter I don't want to work with on a project."

When Cha Jae-yi appeared shortly after, she introduced herself as "an actress working as both an actress and a writer, and the biological daughter of teacher Cha Hwa-yeon." Rather than leaning on her famous family background, she highlighted her own history of balancing acting and literature under her own name.

Since her debut after studying at NYU, Cha Jae-yi has reached her 13th year in the industry. Her expansion into writing, with three books to her credit, demonstrates an artistic path distinct from her mother's, as she refuses to limit her creative expression to the screen.

Cha Hwa-yeon made no effort to hide her affection for her daughter, emphasizing, "Everyone is a special daughter, but to me, she is a truly precious and special daughter." She explained that because both women lead busy lives, they rarely find time to eat together; she joined the program specifically to treat her daughter, who is diligently pursuing her own path, to a meal.

Cha Hwa-yeon possesses a unique career history, having stepped away from acting at the age of 29 to focus on her family, only to return to the entertainment industry approximately 20 years later. Since her return, she has solidified her status as a veteran actress through a wide range of roles in dramas and films.

Similarly, Cha Jae-yi has built her own reputation through systematic training in New York, independent of her mother's fame. By pioneering two distinct creative fields simultaneously, she continues to forge a path that transcends the simple label of being "an actress's daughter."

This joint appearance provided a meaningful opportunity for the mother and daughter—who have both walked the paths of acting and creation in their own ways for many years—to view each other's lives through a new lens, moving beyond their private relationship as family.